U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Chicago intercepted eight shipments containing a total of 161,860 counterfeit U.S. Forever stamps over the weekend. The seizures were made by the Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team at the Chicago International Mail Branch.

According to CBP, there has been an increase in counterfeit U.S. Postal Service postage stamps, particularly around holidays like Valentine's Day. The seized stamps arrived from China and had a face value exceeding $118,000 if they were genuine.

"Counterfeiters only care about making a profit," said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director of Field Operations in Chicago. "They don’t care about the effect that fake postage has on your ability to send important mail and overall impacts the U.S. economy." She added that CBP officers are highly trained and demonstrated their expertise by identifying these realistic counterfeits.

The counterfeit stamps were confiscated for violating trademark laws. Officers used their knowledge to detect fraudulent shipments based on low invoice values, suspicious routing, and efforts to conceal the items.

CBP regularly conducts inspections on international flights to intercept narcotics, weapons, currency, prohibited agriculture products, counterfeit goods, and other illicit items at 328 international ports of entry across the nation.

As America's frontline defense agency with over 65,000 personnel, CBP plays a crucial role in protecting national security while facilitating lawful travel and trade.